Rein-holder.



N0. 644,46l. Patented Feb. 27, I900 F. A. RIDUUT.

REIN HOLDER.

(Application filed. July 17, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES A TTOHNE YS THE 'Ncmus PFTERS 00., Pnoruuma, wnsnmcrruu. u. c.

' trio.

ATEN

FRANKLIN ANDERSON RIDOUT, OF CYNTHIANA, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARY M. ANDERSON, OF SAME PLACE.

RElN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,461, dated February 27, 1900.

Application filed m 17, 1899 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN ANDERSON RIDOUT, of Cynthiana, in the county of Harrison and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved Rein-Holder, of which the following is a'full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to providea new and improved rein-holder which is simple and durable in construction, readily applied to the dashboard or other part of a vehicle, and conveniently and easily manipulated to receive and securely hold the reins and to allow of a quick removal of the reins therefrom whenever desired.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a face View of the improvement as applied and with the reins held loosely in position preparatory to being clamped. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a rear face view of the same with the reins securely clamped in place.

The improved rein-holder is provided with a casing A, adapted to be fastened to the dashboard B, the whip-socket, or other part of the vehicle, so as to bring the rein-holder within convenient reach of the driver. the casing A are mounted to slide vertically clamping members 0 O,pivoted at their lower ends at O and connected with each other to engage at their outer upper ends the reins to be clamped in place, said members being arranged to be normally locked in an open position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by a looking device consisting, essentially, of a latch D, having a handle D and pivoted on the member 0 and having a rounded edge D at the free end to readily engage a pin D on the other clamping member 0, the rounded edge terminating in a square shoulder D, so as to lock the clamping members 0 C in an open position at the time the latch D is in a hori- Serial No- 724,08'7. (No model.)

' zontal position, the pin D abutting against the shoulder D (See Fig. 1.) When the latch D is in this position, it extends across the opening between the clamping members, so that the reins passed between the upper ends of the clamping members rest with their lower edges on the latch D, and when a pressure is now exerted in a downward direction on said reins then the latch is swung down 'Ward to move the holder D out of engagement with the pin D and allow the upper ends of the clamping members to close and clamp the reins in place. The shanks O and C of the clamping members cross each other at the entrance of the shank at the upper end of the casing A at the opening A, the outer edges of said crossed shanks being beveled and in contact with the end walls of the opening A, so that when the members slide downward when unlocked by the latch D then the clamping members are swung toward each other to securely clamp the reins between them. The downward sliding motion of the clamping members 0 C is accomplished by a spring E, coiled around the lower ends of said members above the pivot 0 the upper end of the spring E resting against bars F, secured to the easing, the lower end of said spring resting on a pin F, secured in one of the clamping members below the pivot 0 as indicated in Fig. 3.

The extreme lower end 0 of the clamping member 0 passes through an opening A in the bottom of the casingA to guide the lower pivoted ends of the clamping members in the casing.

Now when the clampingmembers are locked in an open position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the reins are inserted between the clamping members and pressed downward to cause the latch D to swing downward for unlocking the clamping members, then the spring E draws the clamping members downward and causes the upper ends thereof to swing toward each other by the shanks sliding with their beveled outer edges on the walls of the opening A. Thus the upper ends of the clamping members securely clamp the reins between them.

When it is desired to release the reins from the clamping members, the operator takes hold of the handle D and swings the latchD upward and in doing so causes the clamping members to slide upward in the casing against the tension of the spring E, and at the same time the rounded edge D of the latch D by coming in contact with the pin D swings the clamping members apart until the latch has assumed a horizontal position, the pin D resting against the square shoulder D to lock the members in an open position. The reins can now be readily lifted out of the opened ends of the clamping members and the device is again in position for receiving the reins for again locking the same in position in the manner above described.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A rein-holder, provided with clamping members pivoted together for clamping the reins between them, and a locking device for locking the clamping members in an open posit-ion for the insertion of the reins, the looking device being arranged on the clamping members between their connecting-pivot and their free ends, and being thus adapted to be actuated by the operator pressing the reins against it to unlock the clamping members for the latter to close, and to then automatically clamp the reins, substantially as shown and described.

2. A rein-holder, provided with a casing, clamping members mounted to slide therein for clamping the reins between them, a looking device for locking the clamping members in an open position for the insertion of the reins, the locking device being adapted to be actuated by the operator pressing the reins against it to unlock the clamping members for the latter to close, and to then automatically clamp the reins, and a spring connected with the said clamping members, forimparting a sliding motion thereto relatively to the casing in one direction for closing the members, as set forth.

3. A rein-holder, provided with a casing, clamping members for the reins, pivoted together and mounted to slide in the casing, and adapted to be closed thereby, a locking device for locking the members in an open position, and a spring pressing the said clamping members for sliding the same in one direction in the casing to close the members for clamping the reins,substantially as shown and described.

4. A rein-holder, provided with clamping members pivoted together and mounted to slide into an open or closed position, a spring pressing the said pivoted members, and alatch pivoted on one of the clamping members and adapted to engage with its free end a pin on the other clamping member, substantially as shown and described.

5. A rein-holder, comprising a casing or support, and pivoted clamping members engaging said casing and slidable longitudinally to swing the clam ping members on their pivot owing to their engagement with the casing.

6. A rein-holder, comprising a casing or support, pivoted clamping members engaging said casing and slidable longitudinally, and a spring for moving the clamping members longitudinally to swing them on their pivot.

7. A rein-holder, comprising a casing or support, pivoted clamping members, and a latch pivoted to one member and extending to a locking engagement with the other member across the space adapted to receive the reins, so that the latch is adapted to be en= gaged and operated by the reins.

8. The combination of the casing, the pivotally-connected clamping members slidable therein, the latch connecting the rein-holding portions of said members, and the spring for sliding the clamping members.

FRANKLIN ANDERSON RIDOU'J. lVitnesses:

A. B. DICKINSON, WM. F. WICKHAM. 

